Lulu's BEACH BUGGY

It is a rather short 1994 Dodge Ram 250 chassis. We will paint the running boards the same as the body.

Sunday we fly to London for 5 weeks. One of my friends said that I would never go to Hawaii because I couldn't drive there. I guess the same goes for England. 

I just bought this van from my friends Ralph and Shirley Robinson. They were moving to Oregon with their kids and grandkids. I don't think Ralph would be angry if I told you he was 87 and this van was his family car for the last 18 years. He took very good care of it - and we were lucky to be able to buy it. Their kids lived a few hundred yards away from us and they lived about 2 miles away by the mall.

Lulu always wanted a van that she could take to the beach and use as a bathhouse. This van fits the bill. It is in excellent shape. When we come back from London I intend to add a toilet and shower. We will also get the stripes removed and have it painted either white or silver.

The van is nicely equipped. It has a 175HP V6 engine that the EPA says gets 18 MPG. Just in case it does not - it has a 35 gallon gas tank. It has automatic transmission and fuel injection. The brakes and tires are excellent. The tilt wheel - cruise - and digital radio all work fine. It has tinted screened windows - curtains - and blinds for privacy. It has cupboards and even a TV with remote.

I spend a couple days shampooing and vacuuming the entire inside. It was pretty clean but 18 years of even light use develops dirt in the cracks and crannies. By the way - what is the difference between a crack and cranny?  

It has 109,000 miles on the odometer. 

While we are in London - we will decided between silver or white. The van is sitting on our front driveway if you want to see it. I think we will keep this one for a while - insurance cost is very low.

Of course - at 18 years of age - you do not know how long this thing will last. The engine and transmission seem bulletproof - but in dog's age this van is 126 years old.

We are looking forward to having it painted when we get back from London on August 9th - Keith's birthday.

This van will keep Lulu's 1986 Dodge 600 convertible company.

The tilt wheel has cruise controls on it - note the wheel has no wear.

It has a one piece fiberglass top - like a boat sitting up there. Come to think of it - that would be a good idea. Buy another old top - sit it on top and use it as a boat.

I plan to put a hitch receiver on the back to be able to haul our little boat and utility trailer.

The windshield has one knick in it - I will probably replace it. I got bids between $700 and $1100 to paint it. Almost as much as the purchase price - $1200.

Lulu would like to try a trip out west in it. That would be pretty bold. Even at 18 MPG it would take 166 gallons each way.

The engine is under that big console box. There are a lot of compartments for storage.

I removed the spare tire on back to be ready for the paint job. If I build a bed inside I may put the spare tire under the bed.

It has 4 captain's chair - all in very good shape. All the trim is solid oak.

There was once a bench seat in the back - but the former owner took it out. There is plenty of room for at least 4 bikes back there. We have two folding bikes that we will keep in the back.

Here the glove box and table are open. The windows and mirrors are manual. That black thing in the glove box is the fuse panel.

The TV is in the middle wooden cabinet - the other two cabinets are empty. There are electrical and antenna outlets up there. Note the brackets from the rear bench seat.

It has 4 forward facing reclining seats with arm rests. Note the screens in the tinted windows

The doors have manual key locks - the curtains are still good. The door windows tilt out.

There is not a knick or rip in the dashboard vinyl or the upholstery.

The seats recline and can be removed with 4 bolts. They will be great for car seats when the grandkids come to visit.